SERIES A --- YHVH’S PIONEERS -- LESSON 5

THE ARK

A MAN WHO FOUND FAVOR

From Genesis 6:1–7:10

As the population of the world increased, some of YHVH’s created beings began to notice the beautiful women of the world. In time these sons of YHVH married the daughters of men, which displeased YHVH. [My Spirit will not remain with man forever, for he is evil,] Adonai said. [I will permit mankind to live another hundred and twenty years.] In these early days giants lived in the world. Later, as the sons of YHVH mated with the daughters of men, their children became the mighty men about whom so many stories are told. YHVH watched the wickedness of the people grow worse until the entire direction of their lives was toward evil. This grieved YHVH so much that He was sorry He had created them. [I will destroy all people from the earth,] YHVH said. [I will destroy even the animals, birds, and reptiles, for I am sorry that I have created them.] But Noah pleased YHVH. He was a righteous man, the most perfect man who lived at that time. His three sons were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The world of Noah’s time was very wicked, filled with violence. YHVH saw how corrupt the world had become, for it was filled with evil. [I will destroy all of the people of the world, for they are corrupt and violent,] YHVH told Noah. [I will wipe them from the face of the earth. Make an ark, a great ship, of gopher wood; make rooms in it, and cover it with pitch inside and outside. Make it four hundred and fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high. Build an open window around the top part of the ark, about eighteen inches below the roof. Make three decks inside, and put a great door in its side. I will cover the earth with a flood which will destroy everything that breathes. But I will make a covenant with you and will keep you and your wife, and your three sons and their wives, safe inside the ark during the flood. You shall bring a male and female of each kind of animal, bird, and reptile into the ark with you to keep them safe during the flood. Store enough of the right kind of food in the ark so that you and the animals will have enough to eat.] And Noah did all that YHVH Commanded him. At last, the ark was built and the time for the flood had come. [You must enter the ark now with your family,] YHVH said to Noah, [for you alone are righteous. Take seven pairs of birds on the ark with you and seven pairs of animals which are acceptable for food and sacrifice, along with a pair of every other kind of animal, bird, and reptile so that life will continue after the flood. Seven days from now I will send rain upon the earth for forty days and forty nights, destroying all life on the earth.] And Noah did all that YHVH Commanded him. When the flood came upon the earth, Noah was six hundred years old. He took his family into the ark with him -- his wife, his three sons, and their wives. All of the animals, birds, and reptiles entered the ark with Noah in pairs, male and female, exactly as Adonai had commanded.

COMMENTARY

THE ARK

The dark shadow cast by sin deepened as mankind turned completely to evil. YHVH determined that such corruption must be cleansed. He chose a great destroying flood. But one man, Noah, had not followed the ways of sin. YHVH told Noah and his family to build a great floating ark, in which they and many animals would be saved. YHVH does punish sin. And He protects those who love good. The ark was a wonder of ancient shipbuilding. It was far greater than other ships that would be built for centuries to come. Its purpose was simple, to house and protect people and animals throughout the period of the Great Flood. The ark was designed to ride the waves of the rising flood without capsizing. It was six times longer than it was wide; a ratio used by modern shipbuilders. Some features necessary for ships were missing in the ark. Since speed and direction were not necessary, the prow did not need to be curved. Nor did the ark need sails or rudder. The ark was three stories high, made of gopher wood and sealed with pitch. No wonder it took a hundred and twenty years to build it!